Baton Rouge To Roll Out Natural Gas-Powered Garbage Trucks

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Natural gas-powered garbage trucks that are expected to emit less pollution will be rolled out in Baton Rouge, an area that has struggled to meet federal ozone pollution standards.

Garbage disposal company Waste Management says it will replace 40 diesel-powered trucks in its Baton Rouge fleet with to those using compressed natural gas.

The company has 53 trucks that collect waste from East Baton Rouge, West Baton Rouge, Livingston, Ascension, Pointe Coupee, Tangipahoa, East Feliciana and West Feliciana parishes, spokesman Warren Guedry Jr. tells The Advocate.

The conversion, expected to start later this year and be complete by May 2015, will mean the trucks will not be using 320,000 gallons of diesel each year, are expected to be cheaper to operate and will make less noise.